Metallurgical furnace



(No Model.) 2. Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. STUBBLEBINE.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE. No. 404.369. Patented May 28, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheet sSheet .2. W. STUBBLEBINE.

METALLURGIGAL FURNACE.

No. 404.369. Patented May 28, 1889.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM STUBBLEBINE, OF BETHLEHEM, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUBBLEBINE PATENT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLURGlCAL FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,369, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed February 16, 1888. Serial No. 264,205. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM STUBBLEBIN'E, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of N orthampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallurgical Furnaces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in furnaces for metallurgical operations and other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a furnace for heating and melting metal which will be simple in construction and effective in operation.

My invention consists of a regenerative gasfurnace in which a portion of the gas and air used in heating the furnace is heated in regenerators, the other portion of gas and air used for heating being combined in a mixingchamber and admitted to the combustion or melting chamber, where it min gles with and is ignited by the gas and air which come through the regenerators.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is alongitudinal vertical sectional View of my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View on the line a: w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of one end of the furnace, taken on the line y y of Fig. 1.

A indicates thecombustion or heating chamber of the furnace, which may be of any desired size or construction best adapted for the purpose.

B and O are gas and air fines, respectively, located at each end of the combustion or heat in g chamber A, said fines opening into or communicating with the regenerator-ehambers D and E, in which are piled the regenerator-brick in a manner common to this class of furnaces.

The gas-regenerator chambers D communicate with the gas-producers or other gas-supply by means of suitable fiues, said flues being provided with suitable reversing-valves, (not shown,) by which the gas can be admitted alternately at each end of the combustion-chamber.

The air-regenerator chambers E communicate with the external air and with fiues leading to the stack (not shown) in the usual manner, whereby the air can also be admitted at each end of the combustion-chamber.

F are mixing-chambers, which are by preference located on top of the furnace and communicate with the combustion or melting chamber by means of a series of apertures, G, formed in the arch or roof of the combustionchamber and at the point where combustion takes place.

H are air-flues leading from the gas-regenerators D to the mixing-chambers F, through which gas is supplied to said chambers, the upper ends of said fiues being provided with valves or dampers I for cutting off or regulating the supply of this kind of gas to the mixing-chambers F.

K are airtubes located beneath the working hearth of the furnace, which extend through the end walls of the furnace and enter the mixing-chamber F, said tubes or airflues being provided with suitable valves or dampers, L, by which the air can be shut off from one mixing-chamber and let into the other to correspond with the reversals of the valves which change the direction of the air and gas through the regenerators.

The object of locating the pipes or tubes K beneath the working-hearth of the furnace is to utilize the heat in heating the air before it comes in contact with the gas in the mixingchambers.

It will be understood that the gas which passes through the regenerators is the carbon gas produced from bituminous coal, orit may be natural gas, and that portion which enters the mixing-chambers through the fines H is also of the same kind. The air coming through the pipes K mingles with the gas coming through the flue H, thus forming a gas highly charged with oxygen having great heating properties, which passes out through the openings G and unites with the intenselyhot gas and air coming from the regenerators in the combustion-chamber, where they ignite and a complete combustion is efiected.

By the operation of the devices just described I am enabled to supply the requisite amount of oxygen to produce complete combustion and to admit the same to the combustion or melting chamber by means of the mixing chamber in regular quantities, thus obviating the destroying effect of a blow-pipe flame, as would be the case if the air were admitted under great pressure through a nozzle.

Ilavin thus described myinvention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a furnace for metallurgical operations and other purposes, the combination,with the combustion chamber, of a mixing chamber communicating therewith, an air-regenerator chamber also in communication with the coinbustion-chamber, a gas-rcgenerator chamber communicating through suitable flues with the n'iixing-chamber and with the combustionchamber at or near the point of communication between the combustion and mixing chambers, and an air-supply pipe, K, communicatin with the mixing-chamber for supplying air thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a metallurgical or other furnace, the combination, with the combustion-chamber, of a mixing-chamber communicating therewith, an air-supply in communication with the mixing-chambcr, an air-regcnerator chamber communicatin g with the combustion-chamber, and a gas-regenerator chamber communicating through suitable flues with the mixingchamber and with the combust-ion-chambcr, substantially as set forth.

3. In ametallurgical or other furnace, the combination, with the combustion-chamber, of a mixing-chamber at each end, an d communications between each of said mixing-chambers and the combustion-chamber, a gas-regenerator chamber at each end of the furnace, each of said regenerator-chambers communicating through flucs with one of the mixingchambers and with the combustion-chambcr, an air-supply in communication with each mixin gchamber, and valves for wholly or partially cutting oil": either of the mixing-chambers at pleasure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix m y sign ature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM STUBBLEBINE.

Vit-ncsscs:

.Lxcon W. LUCKENBACH, EUGENE E. \Vrnann. 

